The cutting of holes and slots in thin substrates of transparent materials, such as glass, can be accomplished by focused laser beams that are used to ablate material along the contour of a hole or slot, where multiple passes are used to remove layer after layer of material until the inner plug no longer is attached to the outer substrate piece. The problem with such processes is that they require many passes (dozens or even more) of the laser beam to remove the material layer by layer, they generate significant ablative debris which will contaminate the surfaces of the part, and they generate a lot of subsurface damage (>100 μm) along the edge of the contour.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved process for cutting holes and slots.